


You're So Vain

by CitrusVanille



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Marauders' Era, Oneshot, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-04-02
Updated: 2006-04-02
Packaged: 2018-04-13 01:19:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4502283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CitrusVanille/pseuds/CitrusVanille
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a school-wide contest/concert at Hogwarts, and Sixth Years Lily and Remus have a song to perform.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're So Vain

Remus Lupin shifted nervously from foot to foot and it was all he could do to keep from biting his nails in agitation. He’d been trying for nearly a month to break his anxious habit, and was proud of the length of his nails, but at the moment he was losing the battle to keep the digits away from his teeth.

Lily Evans, resplendent in form fitting dress robes that matched her green eyes got to the tawny-haired boy just as he gave in to his old vice. “Stop that,” she commanded, knocking his hand away from his mouth. She ignored his indignant glare as she fussed with the collar of his own green dress robes.

“You stop,” he told her, holding her fidgeting hands away from his throat.

“Sorry,” she muttered. “I went and looked at the Great Hall,” she explained. “It’s packed.”

“It’s been packed all week,” he reminded her.

“I know, but tonight _everyone_ ’s here. I hadn’t thought there would be this many people until tomorrow, when the Seventh Years go on.”

A month earlier, notices had gone up in all the common rooms that during the last week of the winter term there would be a school wide concert. Each night would be dedicated to a different year, and everyone was welcome to perform. Each student was allowed one song, so if there were several students in a band, the band could perform one song for each band member. The entire school had been in a frenzy. Not only was the prospect of entertainment and the chance to perform highly anticipated, but a panel of faculty members was going to be observing the shows, and the top three pieces in each year would be awarded as-yet undeclared prizes.

The previous Saturday the First Years had started off the week-long concert, and now it was Thursday.

“They’re all here to see us, you know,” Sirius Black had come up behind the green-clad pair. He draped an arm casually around Remus’s shoulders. “Everyone wants to know if The Marauders are as good a band as they’ve heard.”

“You’ll muss his robes, Black,” Lily snapped, pushing the offending arm away from the tawny-haired boy and fussing once more with the collar.

“Well, I like that!” Sirius huffed.

“Hey, Evans,” James Potter appeared suddenly beside Sirius.

“Potter.” Lily barely spared the scruffy-haired boy a glance, but Remus could feel her movements becoming slightly jerkier as she compulsively straightened his already neat robes.

“Why don’t you two go sit with Pete and watch the show until it’s time for the bands to get ready?” Remus suggested.

“Yeah,” Sirius ran a hand through his long hair, and Remus couldn’t help but follow the movement with sharp amber eyes. Sirius didn’t notice. “I just wanted to say, well, before you went on, you know, um… well… _merde_.” He gave Remus a quick grin, and raced off.

James stared after the fleeing boy for a moment, a partly knowing, partly exasperated look on his face. Then he turned back to Lily and Remus. “Er, yeah. So… what he said.” Looking slightly abashed, he, too, managed a grin, then went after his best friend.

Lily and Remus both let out sighs at the same moment, then exchanged rueful glances and broke out in nervous laughter.

“Think they’ll figure it out?” Remus asked, quirking a single eyebrow.

Lily sighed again, almost in exasperation. “We’re both too stubborn and they’re both too clueless.”

“They can’t help it,” Remus felt compelled to remind his friend. “They were spoiled at home – well, Sirius isn’t anymore but, well, you know – and they’re spoiled here. That would make anyone arrogant.”

“Or vain,” Lily pointed out, grinning.

“Or vain,” Remus agreed, returning the grin.

“Miss Evans, Mr. Lupin,” Professor Flitwick had appeared backstage. “You’re up next!”

“Thank you, Professor,” the green-clad duo responded automatically at the same time.

“Break a leg!” the tiny professor squeaked, and slipped out beyond the curtain once more.

“You ready?” Remus asked, hoping his voice didn’t betray him.

“Of course,” Lily replied, but her nervously twisting hands belied her confident words.

The last notes faded from the stage. Lily lurched forward to give the slightly taller boy a kiss on the cheek. He returned it, and they hugged tightly for the meager comfort it offered.

“You’re up!” Professor Flitwick had returned.

“Right.” The two sixth years nodded, exchanged a final, nerve-wracked glance and, picking up their guitars, followed him out onto the dark stage.

Taking a deep breath, Remus began to play.

“ _Son of a gun,_ ” Lily’s amplified whisper rolled through the dark hall as Remus continued to play. A moment later, she joined him on her guitar.

Another moment passed, then she began to sing. “ _You walked into the party – Like you were walking onto a yacht._ ”

The lights rose, too bright for either musician to see anything beyond the edge of the stage.

“ _Your hat strategically dipped below one eye,_ ” Remus continued the song, “ _Your scarf it was apricot._ ”

Lily took it up, “ _You had one eye in the mirror – As you watched yourself gavotte._ ”

And together they sang: “ _And all the girls dreamed that they’d be your partner – They’d be your partner and – You’re so vain – You prob’ly think this song is about you – You’re so vain – I’ll bet you think this song is about you – Don’t you? Don’t you?_ ”

Remus realized suddenly that several unseen people beyond the bright stage lights had been singing along. He caught Lily’s eye.

She flashed a smile, already launching into the next verse. “ _You had me several years ago – When I was still quite naïve – Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair –_ ”

“ _And that you would never leave,_ ” Remus broke in. “ _But you gave away the things you loved – And one of them was me –_ ”

Lily joined in and their voices rose together. “ _I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee – Clouds in my coffee and…_ ”

Once again, as they sang the chorus, voices rose from the audience to sing along.

“ _I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee – Clouds in my coffee and…_ ” the duo repeated, then launched back into the chorus.

“ _Well, I hear you went up to Saratoga – And your horse naturally won –_ ” Remus sang.

“ _Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia,_ ” Lily went on, “ _To see the total eclipse of the sun –_ ”

“ _Well, you’re where you should be all the time,_ ” Remus sang again, “ _And when you’re not you’re with –_ ”

“ _Some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend – Wife of a close friend and…_ ” they sang together, then back into the chorus, twice more, joined by the crowd, and then it was over.

The applause was deafening as they both bowed, careful of their instruments, then hurried backstage as the lights went down once more.

“Ohmigod!” Lily shrieked backstage, handing her guitar to one of the house elves standing by to take it as Remus did the same. “We did it! We did it!”

She grabbed Remus’s hands and swung him around in a circle.

He laughed, as relieved as she was to have it over, though by now his adrenaline was up, and he wouldn’t have minded going out and doing it all over again, which, as he reminded himself, he would have to do once the bands started.

“And they liked us! Did you hear? They were singing along!” Lily hugged him tightly, obviously trying not to squeal in delight, and kissed him happily on the mouth.

“Hey!” Sirius’s voice broke into the mini celebration.

The redhead and the brunet turned to see Sirius and James standing behind them, both black-haired boys looking startled and a little upset.

 _Shit,_ Remus thought. _That can’t have looked good._

“What’s –” James couldn’t seem to get the words out.

“They liked it!” Lily exclaimed, obviously still too wrapped up in victory to notice anything amiss. “Isn’t it wonderful!” She launched herself at the hazel-eyed boy – much to his surprise – hugging him and giving him a peck on the cheek.

“Yeah,” James looked dazed. “Yeah, wonderful.” His hand rose slowly to his cheek as Lily released him and hugged Sirius as well.

“Gotta go change for my band!” Lily announced, still practically bouncing with glee. She gave Remus another hug, then vanished in the direction of the room designated for the girls to change in.

Remus shifted uncomfortably under Sirius’s penetrating stare. “Er,” he squirmed. “I’d better go change, too, for our act…” he trailed off.

“Are you two –” Sirius gestured vaguely, grey eyes stormy.

“No,” Remus replied, knowing what Sirius was asking. “We’re just good friends. You know that. She was just happy.”

“I see.” Sirius still didn’t look thrilled. “I see,” he repeated.

“Right. Well,” Remus inched backwards towards the boys’ changing room.

James hadn’t moved, one hand still pressed to the cheek Lily had kissed.

“Er,” Remus inched back a few more steps. “Why don’t you see to Jamie, and then go sit outside and watch the other performances? I’ll come out when I’ve changed.”

Sirius turned his scowl on his messy-haired friend. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Okay. Hurry up.”

Remus didn’t need to be told twice. He darted away, leaving his friends to sort themselves out.

**End**

**Author's Note:**

>  _Merde_ is French for “shit.” In the theatre, it’s considered bad luck to say “good luck” to someone, so, instead, people say, “break a leg” or “ _merde_.” There are all sorts of theories as to the origin of this custom; I merely lay it down to the superstitious nature of most people who work in theatre and some sort of reverse psychology, and try not to question it any further than that.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [I Won't Dance](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4535973) by [CitrusVanille](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CitrusVanille/pseuds/CitrusVanille)




End file.
